In-tank fuel supply system and method of installation

Abstract

An in-take fuel supply system for a fuel tank that tilts in service comprising a manifold and a plurality of suction pipes that are pivotally attached to inlet ports of the manifold. Each suction pipe extends outwardly of the manifold and has a float valve at the remote end for closing the suction pipe in the absence of sufficient fuel to prevent ingestion of significant amounts of air and vapor. The suction pipes are biased to a horizontal position by springs that allow a fold down configuration for installing the fuel supply system in a fuel tank through a small installation hole.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. An in-tank fuel supply system for a low profile, vehicular fuel tank that tilts in service comprising; a manifold having a bottom wall for supporting the manifold on the bottom of a fuel tank, and a side wall having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially oriented inlet ports, and a top wall that has an outlet port and that is adapted to support a fuel delivery device,   a plurality of suction pipes having elbows at one end that are pivotally attached to the respective inlet ports and that extend outwardly from the manifold for delivering fuel to the manifold from locations in the tank that are remote from the manifold,   each of the suction pipes having a float valve at the opposite end for closing the opposite end in the absence of sufficent fuel to prevent the suction of significant amounts of air and vapors into the fuel supply system, and   a plurality of springs operatively associated with the manifold and the respective suction pipes for holding the suction pipes in a generally horizontal position so that the float valves are adjacent the bottom of the fuel tank.   
     
     
       2. The in-tank fuel supply system for a vehicular fuel tank that tilts in service as defined in claim 1 wherein the manifold has four inlet ports and four suction pipes that extend to locations near the respective corners of a rectangular fuel tank in which the fuel supply system is located. 
     
     
       3. The in-tank fuel supply system for a vehicular fuel tank that tilts in service as defined in claim 2 wherein the suction pipes pivot downwardly into adjacent vertical positions against the biases of the springs to facilitate installation of the in-tank fuel supply system in a fuel tank through a small installation hole in the top of the fuel tank. 
     
     
       4. An in-tank fuel supply for a vehicular fuel tank that tilts in service comprising; a manifold having a bottom wall for supporting the manifold on the bottom of a fuel tank, and a side wall having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially oriented inlet ports, and a top wall that has an outlet port,   a plurality of suction pipes that are attached to the respective inlet ports at one end and that extend outwardly from the manifold and adjacent the bottom of the fuel tank for delivering fuel to the manifold from near bottom locations in the tank that are remote from the manifold, and wherein the suction pipes have elbows at the one end that are pivotally attached to the inlet ports so that the float valves rest on the bottom of the fuel tank;   each of the suction pipes having a float valve at the opposite end for closing the opposite end in the absence of sufficient fuel to prevent the suction of significant amounts of air and vapors into the fuel supply system.